British series Misfits is probably getting a U.S. remake

Time and again networks who have failed to launch a superhero television series have had their sorry, leaden efforts compared to the likes of the U.K.’s Misfits, with its crackling energy and liberating abuse of the word "cunt." So it was inevitable that someone would eventually say, “Hey, let’s just remake that.” That someone, according to Vulture, is Gossip Girl producer Josh Schwartz, who has reportedly finalized a deal to collaborate with the show’s creator Howard Overman to scrub it of British slang and give it the properly drawn-out vowel sounds that will appeal to American audiences, then shop it to networks later this year.

Of course, Americans have already warmed to Misfits in its pure, original form: The show became one of Hulu’s most-streamed series when it debuted this summer, which is why we’re even talking about a U.S. adaptation in the first place. For many, that success would seem to negate the need for any remake, as even Overman himself has expressed misgivings about moving the series—which focuses on a group of smart-assed teen miscreants sentenced to community service, who suddenly gain superpowers following a freak storm—saying that it’s an inherently British spin on American genre clichés, many of which seem like they could find their way back in during translation. Still, both Overman and executive producer Murray Ferguson have also said they believe it can be done so long as they keep in mind the cultural differences—which is a philosophy that’s worked out for, oh, maybe 5 percent of all U.S. remakes of U.K. shows?